LENT d365.org: TRANSFORMED

Invocation.....(d365.org - Sharon Ely Pearson) 

The world is changing. When time passes between meetings, you see that friends and family are changing too.

And you are changing as well.

In these next moments, open your heart to God, who is seeking more than change in you, but transformation—something truly new.

SATURDAY, March 22 'Keeping'

Psalm 121 NRSV

 I lift up my eyes to the hills—

    from where will my help come?

My help comes from the Lord

   who made heaven and earth.
He will not let your foot be moved
   he who keeps you will not slumber.
He who keeps Israel
  will neither slumber nor sleep.
The Lord is your keeper
   the Lord is your shade at your right hand.
The sun shall not strike you by day,
   nor the moon by night.
The Lord will keep you from all evil;
  he will keep your life.
The Lord will keep
  your going out and your coming in
  from this time on and forevermore.

     The Lord is my KEEPER.  I had to find a more traditional translation to find the use of this accurate translation from Hebrew.  The Message, Good News, and NIV use the more contemporary (and politically correct?) words: guard, protector, defender.  Keeper almost implies a prison.  But God as our keeper is anything but a prison guard.  It is all of the above words but includes putting the interests of 'the kept' ahead of all else, of knowing, and caring, for each other to such a degree that intimate trust in one another binds the relationship.  I trust my spouse to look out for me; do I trust God to do the same?  Really trust?

      One other, rather unrelated, comment about this passage.  It is often quoted by those who are nature lovers to read "I lift up my eyes to the hills from where my help comes..." with the implication that God resides in the beauty of the mountains.  But the god Baal was thought to live on the mountaintop; Yahweh had no such permanent home.  The early Psalmist was really saying as the Living Bible translates, "Shall I look to the mountain gods for help?  No! My help is from Jehovah who made the mountains! And the heavens too!" 

Benediction Blessing.... (d365.org - Sharon Ely Pearson)

God's light is powerful, revealing

The way to new life,
A new birth by the power of the Spirit.

Walk into your day, then, with new questions
Received with infinite love,
Leading towards a life of righteousness.

God's steadfast care will provide.

FRIDAY, March 21   Righteousness

Romans 4:1-5 MSG

So how do we fit what we know of Abraham, our first father in the faith, into this new way of looking at things? If Abraham, by what he did for God, got God to approve him, he could certainly have taken credit for it. But the story we’re given is a God-story, not an Abraham-story. What we read in Scripture is, “Abraham entered into what God was doing for him, and that was the turning point. He trusted God to set him right instead of trying to be right on his own.”

4-5 If you’re a hard worker and do a good job, you deserve your pay; we don’t call your wages a gift. But if you see that the job is too big for you, that it’s something only God can do, and you trust him to do it—you could never do it for yourself no matter how hard and long you worked—well, that trusting-him-to-do-it is what gets you set right with God, by God. Sheer gift.

     This is a long passage.  And The Message version is even longer than most.  But it is a typical convoluted Paul passage, and I feel like Eugene Peterson's paraphrasing helps to unwind some of the mystery.  

      Righteousness is being RIGHT in our RELATIONSHIP with God.  It is a two-way relationship of communication and obedience on our part.  Here's what I get from this:  Abraham went on a journey.  He obeyed God.  If that journey had been a vacation trip to a known resort or a business trip to pick up a package and return with it, no big deal.  That isn't much of a God story.  But Abraham's trip was out of his league, beyond the call of a job.  He HAD to trust God; he HAD to build and develop that relationship with God in order to obey.  That's being RIGHT with God. 

      My mind is trying to relate this to our Habitat journeys.  When we regard our travels as a vacation, going to places that are  easy and secure (Las Cruces!), we aren't working on this trust factor.  When we branch beyond to jobs we haven't done before, or locations that ask us to stretch a little, then righteousness might be a possibility.  Just DOING Habitat work isn't the answer.  Doing the work in tough situations is part of the call.  Pete reminded us again to take our talents where they are REALLY needed.  Something we need to keep in mind. 

     I feel God sent us to Silver City.  We did a job that no one here really wanted to do.  It wasn't a fun job.  We kept at it for four days and I think did it well.  We were able to share information and ideas during those four days that I hope will help this Habitat affiliate in their transformation.  Now we head to Tucson.  CHRPA work has proven to be one in which God-TRUST is a constant factor.  It isn't easy,  but it IS righteousnness work.  It will help in our Lenten transformation.  

THURSDAY, March 20  The Big Tweet

John 3:16 GNT

For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not die but have eternal life.

     The heart of the Gospel Message - all wrapped up in one verse.  Our d365 writer for today says this could be considered The Big Tweet.  Just 103 characters! Call it the Gospel in a Nutshell, write it on signs at ballgames.  The message is simple and brief.  The realization and acceptance carries a transformation of infinite possibility.  

      God loves the world.  How much?  THIS much!  And arms cannot open wide enough to show the love of God's sacrifice.  

     

WEDNESDAY, March 19  Loose Ends

John 3:11-15 CEB

 I assure you that we speak about what we know and testify about what we have seen, but you don’t receive our testimony. 12 If I have told you about earthly things and you don’t believe, how will you believe if I tell you about heavenly things? 13 No one has gone up to heaven except the one who came down from heaven, the Human One.14 Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so must the Human One be lifted up 15 so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life.

     When we are challenged and confused, we like simple, literal answers.  Jesus was giving simple responses, but not literal enough for Nicodemus.  Jesus was calling for a vast change in attitude and practice, and the response demanded was fairly simple to grasp, but difficult to apply and comprehend.  

     Simply put, when I'm confused, I want an answer in a simple package, with all the loose ends neatly tied up in a bow.  I don't want incomprehensible loose ends; I don't want vague metaphors that leave me wondering 'What in the world is Jesus saying?'; I want the easy solution!

     The Gospel isn't a neatly tied up package.  It is a box of God-Spirit power bursting forth with potential, possibilities, opportunities, grace and unlimited love.  Believe in the power of the loose ends.  Believe in what we cannot see right now.  

TUESDAY, March 18   Keep the Coals Burning

John 3:7-10 CEB

Don’t be surprised that I said to you, ‘You must be born anew.’ 8 God’s Spirit blows wherever it wishes. You hear its sound, but you don’t know where it comes from or where it is going. It’s the same with everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

9 Nicodemus said, “How are these things possible?”

10 “Jesus answered, “You are a teacher of Israel and you don’t know these things?

Pneuma is the Greek word for Spirit or Wind.  It is the base word for pneumonia and other terms having to do with breath.   Yet, as Jesus speaks, it is illusive and intangible.  Today's d365.org writer Pearson had a line that struck me:

  Being born again isn’t something we can do; it happens through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

    We can't control the Holy Spirit.  We don't know when and where it will land in our heart and fill us with God's power.  But like a fire, we can keep the coals alive, so when the Spirit-wind comes, it will ignite and flame within us.  We can tend the fire and be prepared.  

    I am going to add the Scribble and a paragraph from a previous thought on this passage for today.  (Partly because I like the picture!) 

     I feel for Nicodemus.  He is a leader, a teacher, of the Jews.  Yet he has come to Jesus seeking answers in a sense of confusion.  He wants to believe.  He must have felt totally humbled, perhaps humiliated, by Jesus' "You don't know this?"

     I feel because this happened to me constantly while teaching computers.  While I had a basic understanding of the programs we used or computer "law" as Nicodemus did, when we got into something new, I was stumped.  The students would ask questions and when I didn't know the answers, they would eventually ask, "How come you don't know this yet you're the teacher?"  It IS humbling. 
     But Nicodemus knows Jesus is speaking of new, unfathomable, concepts.  Born again?  Winds of the Spirit blowing all around?  The author of d365.org today offered the idea of experiencing the RUSH of the Holy Spirit while sky-diving.  The image of Nicodemus free-falling and feeling the Winds of the Spirit came to mind.  Hey, Nicodemus, it's ok to NOT have all the answers!  We today are glad you asked these questions - because Jesus had to explain it all in words that we can begin to understand. 
     Let the transformation of rebirth begin again...and again....and again. (God is so very patient with us!)  The Spirit of God is at work.  Let us seek and be led by that Spirit.(June 5, 2012)

MONDAY, March 17   Spirit-Birth!

John 3:4-6 GNT

“How can a grown man be born again?” Nicodemus asked. “He certainly cannot enter his mother's womb and be born a second time!”

5 “I am telling you the truth,” replied Jesus, “that no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit. 6 A person is born physically of human parents, but is born spiritually of the Spirit.

     Poor Nicodemus!  He is so confused!  But...he is there!  Asking the questions!  Wanting the answers!  Unafraid to appear 'dumb' or 'stupid' for asking the questions.  God doesn't mind our questions - they are a sign we are looking for the answers! 

     Spiritual rebirth is a chance to start over.  It can happen at the moment of our baptism; it can happen every day when we seek God's grace and ask for renewal.  I liked the example given in d365.org today of a friend who uses her morning shower as a daily re-baptism, a daily reminder of renewal and transformation.  Sometimes we may feel like we need it every day!  The Spirit stirring within us, that is a new beginning!  

     Today is a new beginning for Rick and I!  This is the first time we have 'dropped-in' on a build to offer our services.  We will be working in a small group, perhaps just one other.  But we are excited for a new opportunity to serve in a beautiful setting!   Brrrr, however....might have to take another jacket to the job site until the spring sunshine can 'rebirth' the temperature for today!    

SUNDAY, March 16  Turn on the Lights!

John 3:1-3 MSG

There was a man of the Pharisee sect, Nicodemus, a prominent leader among the Jews. Late one night he visited Jesus and said, “Rabbi, we all know you’re a teacher straight from God. No one could do all the God-pointing, God-revealing acts you do if God weren’t in on it.”

Jesus said, “You’re absolutely right. Take it from me: Unless a person is born from above, it’s not possible to see what I’m pointing to—to God’s kingdom.”

     Nicodemus came to Jesus in the dark of night.  We spend much of our life living in the dark of belief.  It's like we have faulty glasses, or our lenses can't shift fast enough to let the light in.  We struggle with the darkness of doubt,  muddled mistrust, and blurry belief. 

     Rebirth in Christ turns the light of Christ to full power.  The switch is flipped and we can see the Kingdom of God waiting – right there!  And we are changed, transformed, by the light. 

     The more Rick and I work for Habitat, and experience the joy of laboring side by side with the homeowners, the better my vision is becoming.  Slowly God is transforming us; step by step we are being reborn.  Turn on the lights and celebrate the grace of God! 

FROM ABUNDANCE

SATURDAY, November 17 

2 Corinthians 9:7-8 (Good News Translation)
You should each give, then, as you have decided, not with regret or out of a sense of duty; for God loves the one who gives gladly.  And God is able to give you more than you need, so that you will always have all you need for yourselves and more than enough for every good cause.
    I really struggle with the current preachers who proclaim that if you give and give (usually to their church and ministry) you will be financially blessed in life.  It just doesn't happen that way.  Too many examples of those who are materially poor, but rich in so many other ways.  (Jesus is a good starting point for the list!)  What is important is our attitude and perspective - does our giving glorify God?  Does our giving include not just money but our time, talents, service, and energy?  Our love?  Do we celebrate our abundant life by returning it to God? 
     I found myself humming the children's song, Magic Penney, while thinking about the abundant life.  Lend it, spend it, and you'll have so many!  
     Mark van Bulck, this week's writer for d365.org, expresses it so well in his parting words each day.  I'll make it my benediction for the week as well:
d365.org GO! (Mark van Bulck)
Look around right now;
See all that you possess,
All that is yours.

Now remind yourself
That it all belongs to God;
It is in your hands
For just a moment.

Live your life today
Grateful
For the abundance
Of grace that is yours

To give away.

FRIDAY, November 16  "Abundant Grace"
Ruth 4:13-17 (Selections from Good News Translation)

So Boaz took Ruth home as his wife. The Lord blessed her, and she became pregnant and had a son.  The women said to Naomi, “Praise the Lord! He has given you a grandson today to take care of you. May the boy become famous in Israel! ... Naomi took the child, held him close, and took care of him.
The women of the neighborhood named the boy Obed. ....
Obed became th
er of Jesse, who was the father of David.

    God gives us an ABUNDANCE of choices and opportunities, both large and small, significant and apparently insignificant.  Ruth made a choice to follow Naomi and marry Boaz.  That choice resulted in a birth that led to Christ.  God can work his plan out through what seems to be the ordinary of our lives!  

    As teachers we often had interactions with students that were seemingly meaningless to us at the end of the day;  a random comment or exchange of ideas.  Yet, how often have students come back, years later, to share how important that moment was to them in their life.  An abundance of opportunities to make a difference - if we use them right!  

    Living the abundant life of grace in God carries with it the responsibility to use each opportunity and moment to reflect God's grace and goodness.  We'll have opportunities today....how will we SPEND our time?  How will we share our wealth in God?  

THURSDAY, November 15
1 Kings 17: 15-17 (The Message)
And she went right off and did it, did just as Elijah asked. And it turned out as he said—daily food for her and her family. The jar of meal didn’t run out and the bottle of oil didn’t become empty:God’s promise fulfilled to the letter, exactly as Elijah had delivered it!
ABUNDANCE wears so many costumes,
cloaked in mysterious disguise. 
Golden coins and riches, MONEY in the bank!
A paycheck arriving on schedule;
FOOD on the table every day,
CLOTHING to ward off the winter chills. 
Perhaps it's dressed in all those THINGS -
Shoved deep in overflowing closets. 
Worthless but for the accumulation
That makes us feel like we are rich. 
Shoes, scarves, collectibles, dishes -
What is stacked up behind those doors?
Could abundance be the walls
That frame a showcase HOME
Built high on the hill above all others?
Or wrapped in the hands of an aging clock - 
TIME abundant for all that should be done. 
For some the costume comes 
Arrayed in the smiles of FRIENDS - 
Those who are always there to bridge the gaps of life. 
God promises abundance,
A life of wholeness filled to the brim
With what are we adorned?
What costume do we wear?
God abundance comes clothed in
The robe of relationships,
The cloak of faith,
The shawl of service,
All knit together by the knowledge of an
Ever-present God! 
How radiantly are we dressed
In the abundance of God! 

WEDNESDAY, November 14   Bread for All
1 Kings 17:8-14 (The Message)

 Then God spoke to him: “Get up and go to Zarephath in Sidon and live there. I’ve instructed a woman who lives there, a widow, to feed you.” So he got up and went to Zarephath. 

  As he came to the entrance of the village he met a woman, a widow, gathering firewood. He asked her, “Please, would you bring me a little water in a jug? I need a drink.” As she went to get it, he called out, “And while you’re at it, would you bring me something to eat?”  

  She said, “I swear, as surely as your God lives, I don’t have so much as a biscuit. I have a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a bottle; you found me scratching together just enough firewood to make a last meal for my son and me. After we eat it, we’ll die.”

  Elijah said to her, “Don’t worry about a thing. Go ahead and do what you’ve said. But first make a small biscuit for me and bring it back here. Then go ahead and make a meal from what’s left for you and your son. This is the word of the God of Israel: ‘The jar of flour will not run out and the bottle of oil will not become empty before God sends rain on the land and ends this drought.'”

Let go of our fears
Release the worry
That we might run out. 
Share first and
Our well will not run dry. 
Risk to have faith and
God will surprise us in
Unimaginable ways. 
It begins with giving,
Without question or doubt.
Bread for all.
Justice for all. 
Life for all. 

TUESDAY, November 13  "Two Cents"
Mark 12:41-44 (The Message)
Sitting across from the offering box, he was observing how the crowd tossed money in for the collection. Many of the rich were making large contributions. One poor widow came up and put in two small coins—a measly two cents. Jesus called his disciples over and said, “The truth is that this poor widow gave more to the collection than all the others put together. All the others gave what they’ll never miss; she gave extravagantly what she couldn’t afford—she gave her all.”
November and December
Give thanks and GIVE!
A time to remember
A time to respond.
To the hurting of the world.
Yet in the Christmas season
We give and give some more
To those who have much.
Our children, our friends,
Who wonder, where to put it?
I love it, but I have
So much STUFF already! 
If just for one Christmas
We all were to give
Food and coats and shelter
So that others might have a chance
To thrive and prosper... to live?
What could be the impact
Could it be a start?
To alleviate the hunger
In the world, and in our heart?
Do we give what's missing
Or the extra in our purse?
Two cents is a mighty gift
If that is all we have. 
Somehow, I think most of us
Should be giving a little more,
Enough that we notice the 
Hole it leaves behind.   

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12
Mark 12:38-40 (The Message)
He continued teaching. “Watch out for the religion scholars. They love to walk around in academic gowns, preening in the radiance of public flattery, basking in prominent positions, sitting at the head table at every church function. And all the time they are exploiting the weak and helpless. The longer their prayers, the worse they get. But they’ll pay for it in the end.”
I have started various poems in many forms today.  The words seem to explode in a jumble of emotions. I start and then start again with a new thought.  Perhaps a finished work will appear later.  We are getting ready to leave for Bandon - on the road again!  But in essence....
Does the church community act as a 'scribe' when it centers its mission on new choir robes, fancy stain glass, media exposure, and new technology?   Perhaps the opening line might read just "Watch out for organized religion."  A church that is constantly looking and spending inward is going to die; the community of believers who is always reaching out, will thrive.  The inward church is lacking the trust and faith that God will take care of its needs; the outward church is confident in God's ability to provide.  All too often we are quick to accuse other churches or religions of hypocrisy, but have we looked in a mirror?  What does God see?  
Individually, am I a scribe or a servant? Do I collect or dispense? (Ouch!) It's really a matter of trust .... and obedience.  What does the Lord require of you? Three things.  Do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God. None of that suggests power, wealth, or show.  
Like I said, a jumble of thoughts for today.  I'll try to straighten it out later!  Maybe my thoughts are confused because I'm looking in the mirror and don't like some of what I see!  

SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11
d365.org PAUSE!  (Marc van Bulck)
Having enough. That may be the biggest single issue that leads to human conflict. Somebody is afraid of not having enough and so tries to make up the difference by taking from somebody else.

But Scripture tells us again and again that there is more than enough for everybody. In fact, we would do better to worry about how to best give stuff away than to concern ourselves with collecting more.

There's enough time right now for you to consider what you have as a follower of God, and what you might do to give away what you own.

Psalm 121: 2-4, 7-8 (The Message)
My strength comes from God,
    who made heaven, and earth, and mountains.
He won’t let you stumble,
    your Guardian God won’t fall asleep.
Not on your life! Israel’s
    Guardian will never doze or sleep.
God guards you from every evil,
    he guards your very life.
He guards you when you leave and when you return,
    he guards you now, he guards you always.

I'm traveling on a journey
Where dangers, toils lurk
I'm confident in safety
For my God is here at work. 

The pagan gods are sleeping
In their booths on mountains high.
They won't be here to help me
Should trouble come on nigh. 

But Almighty is on duty,
His protection is assured.
I stumble not, nor falter;
I have his faithful Word.

God guards me in my leaving
A comfort by my side.
God's in each hour of passing
Eyes and ears are open wide. 

My strength and daily power
My Creator God provides
I risk to walk a fright'ning path
God abandons not, nor hides.

I'm traveling on a journey,
Life follows a winding road. 
The pagan gods are sleeping.
While Yahweh has MY load.